SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT/
STUDENT, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT
DEPARTMENT
FOSTER YOUTH SERVICES PROGRAM
FYS Liaison
Elementary School Orientation
9.19.12
1
PART I: AGENDA
Introductions
 Foster Youth Services Liaison Role
 Policy Support
 Student Support/Outreach
 Foster Youth Awareness Activities
 Administrative Duties
 Review FYS Liaison Materials
 Intake and Exit Forms
 Awareness Activity Logs

2
CULTURE
A SIMPLE DEFINITION
Culture is a society’s
total way of living,
much of which is
learned.
3
SOME COMPONENTS OF CULTURE
• Language and
communication style
• Level of acculturation
• Health beliefs
• Political power
• Family Relationships
• Racism
• Sexuality
• Gender roles
• Poverty and economic
concerns
• Religion
• History of oppression
• Immigration status
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CULTURE OF FOSTER CARE
YOUR CHALLENGE
1. Describe the culture of foster care
using the cultural “artifacts”
represented at your table
2. List as many potential challenges
and assets foster youth might have
in promoting educational success
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FOSTER CARE EDUCATION FACTS
NATIONAL STATISTICS

35% of foster youth have experienced 4 or more school
changes

75% perform below grade level

46% do not complete high school

Only 4% percent of former foster youth obtain any type of
degree or certificate, and only about 2% earn a bachelor’s
degree or higher

80% of foster youths did not earn enough to be fully selfsupporting four years after leaving care
EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE RATES
SFUSD Foster Youth Students
100.00%
99.00%
98.00%
97.00%
Kindergarten (95%)
96.00%
1st Grade (93%)
95.00%
2nd Grade (98%)
94.00%
3rd Grade (94%)
93.00%
4th Grade (99%)
92.00%
5th Grade (97%)
91.00%
90.00%
2009-10
(N=148)
2010-11
(N=146)
2011-12
(N= 116)
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EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES
CALIFORNIA STANDARDIZED TEST RESULTS
SFUSD Foster Youth Students
40%
38%
35%
33%
30%
24% 25%
25%
20%
26%
22%
24%
19%
Proficient and Above
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade
15%
5th Grade
10%
5%
0%
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English
Math
EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES
EXPULSION RATES
SFUSD Foster Youth Students
100.00%
90.00%
80.00%
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
# Expulsions
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
0
2009-10
(N=557)
0
2010-11
(N=510)
0
2011-12
(N=479)
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ENHANCING
SUPPORT:
FOSTER YOUTH
SERVICES LIAISONS
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FOSTER YOUTH SERVICES LIAISON
GOAL: Improve educational outcomes for foster
youth students by providing on-site support
and coordinated services.
Policy Support
 Student Support/Outreach
 Foster Youth Awareness Activities
 Administrative Duties

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POLICY SUPPORT
ASSEMBLY BILL (AB) 490 & AB 1933

What do AB490 & AB1933 require?
 Immediate enrollment
 Prompt transfer of records
 Partial credit calculation
 Participation in extracurricular activities
 No penalization for absences due to court or placement
changes
 School of origin/least restrictive placement
 Education placement decisions dictated by the best
interests of the child
 Comprehensive public school shall be the first school
placement option
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 Designated staff person as a foster care educational
liaison
TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE TO THE
SCHOOL OF ORIGIN
• The county child welfare agency must reimburse
caregivers or otherwise provide funding for the
reasonable costs of providing transportation to and
from the school of origin
– This money can be given in bus passes, directly to the
foster parent, if they are driving, or to a transportation
service.
– Protective Services Worker submits 1015 form
• If a foster child needs funding for transportation to
the school of origin:
– Ask the child’s social worker to provide the funding as
part of foster care maintenance costs under Title IV-E
DOES THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVE
TO HELP WITH TRANSPORTATION??
• A school district may help with
transportation to the school of origin
but is generally not required to do so,
unless:
– the child is in special education and the IEP says so.
– the child is homeless or is awaiting foster care
placement.
STUDENT SUPPORT/OUTREACH








Facilitate “intake” and “exit” meetings with identified
foster youth at your school site.
Assess student educational needs and interests.
Coordinate and collaborate with care providers, social
workers, service providers, school counselors.
Help connect youth to resources, services and
opportunities.
Involve students and care providers in school and
community activities.
Discuss the student and any needs at Student Assistance
Program (SAP) meetings.
Support school site representation at Team Decision
Making (TDM) and GOALS Meetings.
Help identify permanent connections for students,
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including foster/adoptive parents, mentors, respite
providers, educational surrogates.
ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES
Complete and submit FYS student intake forms by
November 19, 2012.
 Complete and submit FYS student exit forms by May 17,
2013.
 Submit Health Awareness Activity logs by May 17,
2013.
 Distribute the FYS Census to site administrator and
SAP team members.
 Make a brief presentation each semester at a faculty
meeting regarding FYS Liaison role and responsibilities.
 Provide students, caregivers, and school site staff with
FYS materials and appropriate school based and
community resources.
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 Attend FYSL mid-year professional development on
January 17, 2013.

FOSTER YOUTH AWARENESS
ACTIVITIES
Coordinate two school-wide awareness events:
May is National Foster Care Month
&
Our Community, Our Children
Foster/Adopt Our SF Youth Campaign
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PART II: AGENDA

Program Resources and Updates
FYS program supports
 Foster Focus Database


Community Collaboration
Team Decision Making Meeting support
 Community Panel


Action Planning
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PROGRAM RESOURCES AND UPDATES
SFCSD Staff and Roles
 FYS Resources
 Foster Focus Database
 Community Resources
 FosterEdConnect.org is an online
community connecting and supporting
California’s foster youth liaisons, foster youth
advocates, and all professionals working to
improve the educational outcomes of foster
youth.

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FOSTER YOUTH SERVICES PROGRAM
www.healthiersf.org/fys
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FOSTER FOCUS
https://www.sacfys.org/index.cfm
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HOW IS STATUS IN FOSTER FOCUS
DETERMINED?
Is child in out-of-home care?
This includes guardianship with
dependency, foster family home1,
group home1, kinship, NREFM or court
specified1 placement.
ACTIVE IN FF
INACTIVE IN FF
Open 300 or 602
petition?*
AB490/AB1933/FYS
applies
No
AB490/AB1933/FYS
protection
*After reunification it is common for the 300 petition to remain open for six months
1 Considered “qualified” placement for state FYS funds
WHAT DOES ACTIVE REALLY MEAN?
 The
child is in an out-of-home placement
with an open petition
AND
 The
child appears on the list provided by
CPS (State FY ID# will appear on Foster Focus)
It is possible for a child to be in an out-of-home
placement with an open petition and not appear on
the CPS list due to clerical error.
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COMMON REASONS FOR
INACTIVE/MISSING STUDENTS
 Reunited
 Run
Away
 Guardianship – no dependency
 Incarcerated
 Moved to a non-Foster Focus county
 Dependent of a non-Foster Focus county
 Probation Status
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COMMUNITY COLLABORATION:
TEAM DECISION MAKING (TDM) MEETINGS
 What
is a TDM?
 Preparing for a TDM



Notification of TDM meetings
Identifying school site staff for participation
FYSL Intake Forms
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COMMUNITY COLLABORATION:
TEAM DECISION MAKING (TDM) MEETINGS
 Your


Education
Stability and Permanency
 TDM


contribution to TDM meetings
follow-up items
School/Home transitional support
Consultation with FYS Permanency staff
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COMMUNITY COLLABORATION:
COMMUNITY PANEL
 Gloria
Anthony-Oliver (Human Services Agency)
 Alvaro Soria (Legal Services for Children)
 Janelle Pierce (Foster Parent)




Name and Role
Brief overview of your role and involvement with
education
Common educational issues that you encounter in
your role
Ways Foster Youth Services Liaisons can support in
your efforts
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THINK, PAIR, SHARE
ACTION PLANNING
Foster Youth Services Liaison Site Awareness
 Student Engagement
 Caregiver/Provider Collaboration
 Foster Care Month and “Our Community, Our
Children” Awareness Activities

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MATERIAL DISTRIBUTED





Section 1: Contact Information
 SF-HSA Directory
 SF-JPD Directory
 Foster Youth Support Services and Key Contacts
Section 2: Student Enrollment/Transfer Procedures
 SFUSD Foster Youth Enrollment Chart
 SFUSD Send/Receiving School Procedures
 1144 and 1145 School Transfer Notification Forms
Section 3: Releasing School Records
 Guidelines for Releasing School Records (with forms)
Section 4: Foster Youth Services Liaison Documents
 Foster Youth Services Programs Chart
 FYS Liaison Job Description
 FYS Liaison Stipend Structure
 FYS Liaison Intake and Exit Forms
 FYS Liaison Foster Care Awareness Logs
 FYS Tutoring Request Form
 Foster Focus Confidentiality Agreement
 Foster Focus User Guide
Section 5: Policies
 2010 California Foster Youth Education Task Force Fact Sheets
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QUESTIONS?
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR
SUPPORT!
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